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There’s a lot to think about on a portrait shoot. From locations to lighting, posing and directing your subject, it can easily become daunting, especially for anyone new to portraiture. It’s very easy to panic and completely forget basic photography rules like composition.
However, taking a little time to practice and plan ahead can make all the difference. In this video, portrait and fashion photographer Julia Trotti gives you her best tips for making your portrait shoots flow effortlessly.
There are a lot of gimbals on the market these days – with two more announced this week – but often, the humble smartphone gimbal can be the easiest to work with. This is especially true if you want to shoot hyperlapse videos for social media or YouTube. Sure, you can do these with a DSLR or mirrorless camera on a bigger gimbal, too, but they’re less strenuous with a lightweight gimbal and your phone.
There are many ways to shoot them, but in this video, content creator Winga shows us how we can make some using the Insta360 Flow (buy here). The video begins by showing us the final hyperlapse result he created, which uses a combination of stop motion and video, followed by breakdowns showing four methods used to create the different shots.
An ND filter is a versatile tool that enables photographers and filmmakers to control the amount of light entering their cameras without affecting the color. It provides creative possibilities by allowing for longer exposures, wider apertures, and better exposure control in various lighting conditions. They can also allow you to get beautiful bokeh with off-camera flash.
When using an ND filter, the reduced amount of light requires compensating for proper exposure. You can achieve this by adjusting the shutter speed, aperture, or ISO settings. Understanding exposure triangle basics (shutter speed, aperture, and ISO) is crucial for using ND filters effectively, check out our post on camera settings.
Self-portraiture has been around for much longer than the much-maligned selfie. It is as old as art itself and is a real genre of photography in and of itself. But it’s not easy. If you’ve ever tried to take photographs of yourself, you’ll know just how difficult it can be.
Fortunately, advances in technology have helped enormously. However, the fact remains that what we think we look like in our mind rarely is how we actually look in the finished image. It can be an exercise in patience and trial and error. But it is possible to improve and get better at posing yourself. In this video from Mango Street, professional models give advice on how you can look better in your self-portraits.
Instagram used to be a great place for still photographers to hang out. That was in the halcyon days before Meta took over the popular social media app, and keeping up with the algorithm became a never-ending game. It’s been tempting to stop posting altogether, especially as Insta seems to be more interested in keeping influencers happy than their regular users.
But does it have to be this way? Is there still a way to use Instagram that can help your photography business? Scott from Tin House Studio seems to think so. Except that most of us are doing it wrong. In this video, Scott shares his personal views and ideas on how to use Instagram to your advantage in 2023.
How much do you really know about photography? If you’re like me, your knee-jerk reaction is probably “quite a lot, actually, thanks,” however upon taking one of DIYP’s quizzes, I would beg to differ! Like most people, I am very knowledgeable about a few key aspects, somewhat knowledgeable about a lot, and I’m sorry to say there are a few gaping holes in some topics.
Now this shouldn’t really be a concern. Very often, we are hired to do the things that we do well. In this video, Scott from Tin House Studio tells us how it is and candidly shares his opinion on where you should put your stock as a pro photographer.
We rarely see any big changes in the flash lighting world, but one area that is constantly evolving rapidly is LED lighting. One of the more interesting innovations we’ve seen come out of that field is LEDs that can also flash. But what does that really mean? How are LEDs actually flashing and is it a feature you need?
As many of you know, I’m currently a ‘Master of Light’ for Rotolight who are a U.K. based LED lighting manufacturer. Essentially that title means Rotolight deem me decent enough to use their lights to their fullest potential and that I have the ability to share my thoughts on them via socials and in-person training. But why on Earth would they choose me? After all, for the past 20 years I’d been happily using my flash heads alone, I’d never really used an LED light before and for good reason. Until now.
I’d love one of those super telephoto lenses in the 800mm range that Canon launched last year. Unfortunately, I don’t quite have the spare $17,000 to be able to afford one. What’s more, that lens would be little more than a toy for me, considering that most of the time, I don’t actually need to use such a long lens. It would be pure folly to indulge my fantasies of being a wildlife photographer.
Fortunately, then, I stumbled across this excellent video from wildlife photographer Espen Hellend, who demonstrates how to take great wildlife images with budget gear. Considering the only wildlife I’ve shot in the past year are some migrating flamingos, it’s probably a bit more relevant for me than the Canon super lenses!
You can’t make any length of video these days without including some kind of drone shot, it seems. However, as anyone who has started flying drones would tell you, it’s not easy. In fact, it’s not easy to even fly the thing, let alone actually create those epic smooth aerial shots that we’ve all grown so fond of.
However, with a little perseverance and practice, you can learn to get better footage from your drone shots. In this video from Adorama, filmmaker Aidan Robbins shares his top ten tips for getting the most out of your drone.
What do you spend most of your money on when it comes to photography gear? It probably depends on quite a few things: how long you’ve been a photographer, whether you’re a pro or a hobbyist, and what sort of photography you do.
But one thing is for sure: we photographers love to waste money on all the wrong things. In this video, Scott from Tin House Studio weighs in on what he thinks we should be spending our hard-earned cash on.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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